JP2016516612A - Inflatable packaging material on demand - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for converting a preformed pouch web into an inflatable packaging material on demand. The method may include moving the web along a path of travel, attaching an outer skin to the outside of the web, and packaging the web in a non-expanded and stored configuration. The method also moves the web along the path of travel, packs at least one product into each of the plurality of preformed pouches, expands each of the preformed pouches, and cushions. Forming a material.

Description

(Cross-reference to related applications)
This application claims the benefit of, and priority to, US Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 801,711 entitled “ON-DEMAND INFLATABLE PACKAGING” filed on March 15, 2013. The entire contents of the above documents are incorporated herein by reference to the extent that they do not conflict with the present application.

(background)
A bubble sheet is a widely used packaging material. One known use of foam sheets is as a cushioning material that is wrapped around a product or in a larger container such as a cardboard, bag, or paper. For example, the cushioning material may be used inside the leather as a padded enclosure.

  A typical padded enclosure includes a cushion formed by a vacuum process. After the two layers of plastic are laminated or sealed together, a small amount of air is trapped within each bubble, providing a cushioning characteristic.

  Conventionally, padded inclusions are manufactured in an assembly facility. In the assembly facility, the cushioning material is formed and attached to the leather. The enclosure can be shipped to a retail point of sale or the product can be packaged in a padded enclosure at a packaging facility. In either embodiment, the padded inclusions are shipped in a final size and volume, i.e. a fully expanded expansion pattern.

(wrap up)
The present application describes a method of assembly for an inflatable packaging material on demand.

  In an exemplary embodiment, a method for converting a web into an inflatable packaging on demand includes moving the web along a path of travel, attaching an outer skin to the outside of the web, And packaging in a non-inflated and stored configuration. The method moves the web along a path of travel, packs at least one product into each of a plurality of preformed pouches, expands each of the preformed pouches, and cushions Forming.

  Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which refers to the accompanying drawings.

  The features and advantages of the general inventive concept will become apparent from the following detailed description, which refers to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an inflatable packaging material web. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the packaging web of FIG. 1 shown along line 2-2 of FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view of another exemplary embodiment of an inflatable packaging web showing the pouch in an inflated state. 4 is a side view of the pouch of FIG. 3 showing the pouch in the closed position. FIG. 5 is a top view of successive assembly stages of a method for making an exemplary embodiment of an inflatable packaging material web. FIG. 6a is a cross-sectional view of another exemplary embodiment of an inflatable packaging web showing the pouch in an inflated state. 6b is a cross-sectional view of the pouch of FIG. 6a showing the pouch in a sealed state. FIG. 7 is a front view of the pouch of FIG. 6b, showing the barcode data and markings affixed on the pouch. FIG. 8a is a front view of another exemplary embodiment of an inflatable packaging material web. FIG. 8b is a cross-sectional view of the inflatable wrapping web of FIG. 8a, shown along line 8b-8b of FIG. 8a. 8c is a cross-sectional view of the inflatable packaging web of FIG. 8a, shown along line 8c-8c of FIG. 8a. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the inflatable wrapping web of FIG. 8a showing the pouch in an inflated state. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the pouch of FIG. 9 showing the pouch in an expanded state with the panel sealed. FIG. 11a is a cross-sectional view of another exemplary embodiment of an inflatable wrapping web showing the pouch in an expanded state with the panel sealed and the skin closed. FIG. 11b is a front view of the pouch of FIG. 11a showing the barcode data and markings affixed on the pouch. FIG. 12 is a front view of another exemplary embodiment of an inflatable packaging material web. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the inflatable packaging material web of FIG. 12, shown along line 13-13 of FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the inflatable packaging material web of FIG. 12, shown along line 14-14 of FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the inflatable wrapping web of FIG. 13 showing the skin sealed in a slit state. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the inflatable packaging web of FIG. 13 showing the skin sealed in a slit state and the spread skin flap. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the inflatable packaging web of FIG. 13 showing the product inserted inside. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the inflatable packaging material web of FIG. 17 showing the web in an expanded state. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the inflatable wrapping web of FIG. 18 showing the web and sealed panel in an inflated state. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the inflatable wrapping web of FIG. 19 showing a closed skin flap. FIG. 21a is a front perspective view of a packaging machine showing exemplary machinery for forming and packaging a padded container from an inflatable packaging material web. FIG. 21b is a top view of the packaging machine of FIG. 21a. FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram of a process for forming an inflatable cushioning material. FIG. 23 is a top view of the inflatable cushion web produced by the process of FIG.

(Detailed explanation)
The detailed description is merely illustrative of the exemplary embodiments according to the general inventive concept and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention or the claims in any way. . Indeed, the invention as described by the claims is broader than the exemplary embodiments described herein and is not limited thereby, and the terms used in the claims are intended to be Has meaning.

  The general inventive concept will now be described with occasional reference to exemplary embodiments of the invention. However, the general inventive concept may be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the general inventive concept to those skilled in the art.

  Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, including the general inventive concept. The terminology used in the detailed description is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended as a limitation on the general inventive concepts. As used in the detailed description and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” also include the plural unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Intended.

  Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers representing the amount of ingredients, molecular weight and other properties, reaction conditions, proportions, etc. as used in the specification and claims are modified in all cases by the term “about”. Should be understood as Thus, unless indicated otherwise, the numerical characteristics set forth in the specification and claims are approximations that may vary depending on the preferred characteristics sought to be obtained in the embodiments of the invention. Although numerical ranges and parameters describing a broad general inventive concept are approximate, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical value, however, inherently contains certain errors resulting from the error necessarily found from its individual measurements.

  In discussing the present invention, the final packaging product is discussed. For illustrative purposes, a padded envelope enclosure is discussed. However, the present invention is applicable to other packaging material products such as paper or plastic bags, paper or plastic envelopes, cardboard envelopes, and other known packaging material offerings that can be lined with cushioning material on the inside of the container. It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that it may be practiced.

  The present invention is directed to a method of producing an inflatable packaging material on demand. The wrapping material will include a preformed pouch web defined by side edges and two panels. At least one panel may have an inflated pattern and the outer skin may be attached to the outside of the web, or the outer surface of the panel may be smooth to act as the outer skin. The wrapping material is later inflatable for assembly of padded inclusions, with or without the product packed in a pre-formed pouch, and the product is pre-shaped Packed before or after the pouch is inflated.

  The inventive assembly of the inflatable packaging material on demand can delay the expansion of the padded enclosure, for example until the end user of the enclosure has packed the product into the pouch. After the web is inflated, the padded enclosure is separated from the web. The method allows more padded inclusions to be shipped in an unexpanded state with a specific volume and weight compared to an expanded padded enclosure. Also, end users of padded enclosures, such as product packers, produce only the amount of inflated padded enclosure required for a certain packaging process, and therefore timely production efficiency and inclusion inventory. You can enjoy the decrease.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the method converts a preformed pouch web into an inflatable packaging material on demand. The pouch is defined by a side edge, two panels, and at least one panel having an expansion pattern. The method includes moving the web along a path of travel, attaching an outer skin to the outside of the web, and packaging the web in a non-expanded and stored configuration. The web may be at least partially shrunk and flattened prior to packaging. At the same or another location, the method moves the web along the path of travel, expands each of the preformed pouches, seals each of the preformed pouches, and cushions Forming. In this state, the two panels of each pouch are positioned to define an open end of the pouch and a closed end of the pouch.

  After the cushioning material is formed, the method closes each of the preformed pouches, seals the outer skin in a closed position around each of the preformed pouches, and Separating into padded inclusions. The preformed pouch may be closed before the exterior skin is closed, or the preformed pouch and the exterior skin may be closed simultaneously. The outer skin may be attached to the web during the edge drilling process, either by heat sealing or by any known technique. In one embodiment, the outer skin is attached to the web at the edge of the preformed pouch and removed in the area between the edges of the preformed pouch. In another embodiment, the outer skin is attached to the web in the area between the edges of the preformed pouch.

  In another embodiment, at least one product is packed into each of a plurality of preformed pouches. This embodiment includes expanding each of the preformed pouches, either before or after the product is packed, sealing each of the preformed pouches to form a cushioning material, Closing each of the molded pouches, sealing the outer skin in a closed position around each of the plurality of pre-formed pouches, and separating the web into a plurality of padded enclosures. . The preformed pouch may be closed before the exterior skin is closed, or the preformed pouch and the exterior skin may be closed simultaneously.

  In another embodiment, a method of assembly for an inflatable packaging material on demand includes intermediate sealing of the outer skin and separating the outer skin after storage for a period of time. The method moves the web along a path of travel, attaches the outer skin to the outside of the web, seals the outer skin to a closed position outside the web, and uninflates and retracts the web Packaging into a configuration. In this stored configuration, the amount of inflatable packaging can be stored in smaller quantities than the same number of fully inflated enclosures as required to convert to a given number of enclosures. .

  The method further includes moving the web along the path of travel, separating to open the outer skin, thereby opening the pre-formed pouch for expansion, and forming the pre-formed pouch. Inflating. After expansion, the preformed pouch is sealed to form a cushioning material. The method further includes sealing the outer skin in a closed position outside the web, separating the web into a plurality of padded enclosures, or at least one product in each of a plurality of pre-shaped pouches. It may include filling, sealing the outer skin in a closed position outside the web, and separating the web into a plurality of padded inclusions.

  When the intermediate sealed skin is separated to the open position, the sealed skin may form a flap on either side of the pre-formed pouch opening. Further, the method includes cutting the exterior skin to open, thereby forming a sealable flap on both sides of the preformed pouch after opening the preformed pouch for an expanded configuration. , Pulling the sealable flap to open in the opposite direction, and packing at least one product into each of the plurality of pre-formed pouches.

  After packing, the method closes each of the pre-formed pouches, seals the outer skin in a closed position around each of the pre-formed pouches, and closes the web to a plurality of padded inclusions. Cutting may be included. The preformed pouch may be closed before the exterior skin is closed, or the preformed pouch and the exterior skin may be closed simultaneously.

  Another embodiment of the invention is a pouch that is preformed and expandable for manufacturing into a plurality of padded inclusions. The pouch includes a web of the pouch and an outer skin attached to the outside of the web, defined by a side edge, two panels, and at least one panel having an expanded pattern. The web is packaged in a non-inflated and stored configuration.

  The armor skin may be attached to the web at the edge line of each pouch and removed in the area between the edge lines of the pouch, or the armor skin may be attached to the web in the area between the edge lines of the pouch. In a non-expanded and retracted configuration, the outer skin may be sealed in a closed position outside the web and the two panels of each pouch may be opened to define an open end and a closed end.

  The preformed pouch web may take various forms in the practice of the present invention. The web may be an inflatable cushion that is first expanded, flattened and later re-expanded by the end user and designed to be used as a wrapping material. Exemplary materials are manufactured and sold by the Streetsboro (Ohio) automated packaging system and are described in US Pat. No. 6,423,166 (incorporated herein by reference in its entirety). Registered trademark). The end user expands the material on demand and expands only the amount of wrapping material required at that time. A method of producing a pre-formed pouch is discussed herein.

  The outer skin may be made from any thin material of suitable strength. Exemplary materials for the outer skin include paper and plastic, and the material may be printable. For example, the plastic skin may be marked with, for example, trademark information, product dimensions, instructions for use, and barcode data. The outer skin remains sufficiently smooth after all manufacturing steps such as initial expansion, flattening, and re-expansion so that the barcode can be read by the scanner.

  The outer skin may be sealed on all four sides around the periphery of the preformed pouch. When the end user of a packaging material that can be inflated on demand produces the packaging material as a final product, such as a padded envelope enclosure, the exterior skin is on only three sides around the periphery of the enclosure It may be sealed with, allowing the product to be packed. The open side may include user-sealable features such as a removable strip that temporarily protects the adhesive strip, for example.

  Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of an inflatable packaging material web 10. Exemplary webs are made from one or more layers of plastic film. The wrapping web 10 includes a string of inflatable pouches 12 connected at the sides. Although a single pouch is shown in FIG. 1, the web 10 includes an indeterminate length of the inflatable pouch 12. The inflatable pouches are connected to each other at the side edges 14. The illustrated side edges include perforation lines 16 to facilitate separation of the finished product. Each pouch 12 includes at least one inflatable panel 18. The inflatable panel can take a variety of different forms. In the exemplary embodiment, panel 18 may be at least partially expanded, at least partially planarized, and then fully expanded. The panels are made from the web disclosed in US Pat. No. D596,031 or the web disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,423,166, each incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. May be.

  An exemplary web of swellable packaging material on demand includes more than one pouch. Each pouch 12 has a pair of panels 18 sealed together along the bottom edge 20 and side edges 14 or by folding a larger panel in half along the bottom edge and sealed side edges together. ,It is formed. One or both of the panels includes an expansion pattern 512 (see FIG. 5). One or both of the panels 18 include an inflation channel 30. The inflation channel allows the preformed pouch to be inflated by a nozzle that is inserted into the channel 30.

  In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, only one expansion channel 30 is included and the two panels of the pouch are in fluid communication such that expansion of one of the panels expands the other panel. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the passage 32 connects the air pockets 34 (see FIG. 3) to each other at the bottom of the panels so that expansion through the expansion channel 30 causes expansion of both panels. The inflation channel 30 is described in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,423,166, 8,357,439, D646,972, 8,038,348 (each by reference herein in its entirety). May be as described by any one or more of.

  The preformed pouch web may be expanded to produce a cushioning material. The pouch may be inflated and sealed in the first step to maintain cushioning and then closed to create a closed pouch. For example, FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a web pouch 12 in an expanded state. Web 10 is inflated through inflation channel 30 and sealed across seal 40 to form inflated pouch 50. The expandable web of pouch 10 can be expanded and sealed in a variety of different ways. For example, web 10 is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,357,439, 8,038,348, 7,513,090, and published application 2009/029342 (each by reference as a whole). Can be inflated and sealed in any one of the ways disclosed by (incorporated herein). As can be seen from FIG. 3, the expanded pouch panel 18 is connected to the bottom of the pouch (either by sealing or folding). As can be seen from FIG. 4, the panels 18 are sealed together at the side edges 14 and close the inflated pouch 50.

The inflatable pouch web may be made from a plastic film. An exemplary method for making an inflatable pouch web 10 is illustrated in FIG. In the first location 510, two single layers of material are placed on top of each other. Single layer is plastic, as shown, may have a width W _1. An exemplary width may be 20 inches, but any width may be used to accommodate the desired pouch width. The two layers may be any of the web materials identified in either patents and published applications (incorporated herein by reference). One or both of the layers may include an expanded edge perforation line 511 spaced from the edge 513. The perforations 513 can be used to separate the pre-formed pouch after final assembly. Alternatively, the expansion edge perforation line may coincide with the edge 513 or be omitted. Also, at location 510, the two layers are sealed together according to the seal and expansion pattern 512. In the embodiment illustrated by FIG. 5, a seal pattern having a hexagonal cell pattern and shown in FIG. 1 is used. The layers are also sealed together at the top and bottom ends, as indicated by arrows 514, 516, respectively. Alignment perforations 552 are used to align the two markers prior to the folding operation. In another exemplary embodiment, the illustrated single layer of inflatable material formed at location 510 is replaced with a material formed in accordance with US Pat. No. 6,423,166.

  At position 520, the material formed at position 510 (or the material formed as described in US Pat. No. 6,423,166) is folded about half on fold line 551 and the pouch Forming a bottom edge 20. A cross seal 522 is formed through four layers (two layers from the upper set of layers and two layers from the bottom set of layers) to form the pouch 12. Also at location 520, a trim line 553 is added to remove excess material, for example by a hot knife.

  The web may be expanded at the next portion 530. A rotating knife perforation 554 may be added to allow separation after the final assembly step. In one embodiment, the web of inflatable pouch 10 may be shipped to a facility where items are packaged. In that facility, the web 10 may be inflated after product packaging to form an inflated pouch. In practice of the invention, the pouch may alternatively be inflated and loaded with product after sealing to maintain inflation. The top of the pouch is sealed after any product is loaded. After position 530, position 540 represents a different location where the web 10 is inflated and sealed and maintains the expansion of the pouch 50. The web of the inflatable pouch 10 is a wrapping material, for example, wound or folded into a box. For example, the web 10 can be any of the formats disclosed by US Pat. Nos. 8,357,439, 8,038,348, 7,513,090, and published application 2009/029342. In one, it can be inflated and sealed to maintain the expansion of the pouch.

  Another exemplary embodiment of a packaging web is shown in FIGS. 6a and 6b. The illustrated embodiment is similar to the embodiment illustrated by FIGS. As shown, a separate skin is not used. In FIG. 6 a, the inflatable packaging material web 700 is formed by two layers, an outer layer 712 and an inner layer 714, forming an opening 710. The inner layer has a pattern of expanded cells 720 formed by an expansion process, as discussed herein. The outer layer 712 is relatively smooth and unaffected by the expansion process.

  In FIG. 6b, the seal 40 is closed and maintains expansion within the pouch. As discussed herein, the panel is a web disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. D596,031 or a web disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,423,166 (each by reference as a whole). Incorporated in the specification).

  In FIG. 7, only a single pouch of packaging material web 700 is shown. Pouch 730 is defined in part by side edges 724. As discussed, outer layer 712 is relatively smooth and unaffected by the expansion process. Outer layer 712 includes information placed on a relatively smooth surface, such as, for example, barcode date 654 and wrapping mark 652.

  In certain embodiments, the web may include an intumescent layer and a separate skin. The outer skin may be made from any thin material of suitable strength, such as, for example, paper or plastic, and the material may be printable. The outer skin remains sufficiently smooth after all manufacturing steps such as initial expansion, flattening, and re-expansion so that the barcode can be read by the scanner. The outer skin may be sealed on all four sides around the periphery of the preformed pouch. When end users of packaging materials that can be expanded on demand, for example, produce packaging materials as final products such as padded envelope enclosures, the outer skin is only on the three sides around the periphery of the enclosure. It may be sealed to allow product stuffing. The open side may include user-sealable features such as a removable strip that temporarily protects the adhesive strip, for example.

  Now, embodiments of the present invention having an outer skin will be discussed. The packaging web shown in FIGS. 8 a-11 b has an outer skin 612. FIG. 8a is a top view of the inflatable wrapping web 610, with a cross-sectional view of the inflatable wrapping web 610 shown along the center of the pouch in FIG. It is shown along the side edge of the pouch in FIG. 8c.

  The embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 8 a-8 c is similar to the embodiment illustrated by FIGS. 6 a and 6 b, but the packaging material web 610 includes an outer skin 612. An outer skin 612 may be provided around the entire web, as shown, or adhered to one or both of the panels 18. The wrapping web 610 includes a string of inflatable pouches 12 connected at the sides with an outer skin 612 disposed around the pouch 12. Each pouch 12 includes at least one inflatable panel 18. The inflatable panel can take a variety of different forms. In an exemplary embodiment, the panel 18 is a web disclosed in US Pat. No. D596,031 or a web disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,423,166 (each by reference herein in its entirety). Built in). Each pouch 12 has a pair of panels 18 sealed together along the bottom edge 20 and side edges 14 or by folding a larger panel in half along the bottom edge and sealed side edges together. ,It is formed.

  Referring now to FIGS. 8b and 8c, a cross-sectional view of the packaging web of FIG. 8a is shown. In the illustrated embodiment, the outer skin 612 is preferably connected to the panel only at the side edges 14 by a seal 40. This structure allows the skin 612 to be completely around the pouch 12 as shown when the skin is connected to one side of the web but not to the other, or when separate skins are attached to both sides of the web 610. It can be an example arranged in By attaching the skin 610 to the web along the side edges 14, the skin will not wrinkle as much as the pouch is inflated compared to the skin attached to the entire surface of the web 610. The skin 612 attached in this manner will not significantly wrinkle if the web is made from a vacuum process as disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,423,166. In another exemplary embodiment, the skin 612 is attached, glued or bonded to the entire surface or substantially the entire surface of the panel.

  One or both of the panels 18 include an inflation channel 30. In the illustrated embodiment, only one inflation channel 30 is included and the two panels of the pouch are in fluid communication such that expansion of one of the panels causes the other panel to expand. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 8a-8c, the passage 32 interconnects the air pockets 34 at the bottom of the panels so that expansion through the expansion channel 30 causes expansion of both panels. Inflation channel 30 is described in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,423,166, 8,357,439, D646,972, 8,038,348 (each incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. As described by any one or more of the above.

  An exemplary expansion of the web 610 is illustrated in FIGS. 9-11b. Referring now to FIG. 9, the web 10 is expanded through the expansion channel 30. As shown in the inflated state, the buffer bubble pattern of the pouch is released by the expansion inside the pouch. FIG. 10 illustrates that one of the panels is sealed with a cross seal 40 to form and seal the inflated pouch 50 inside the skin 612. The inflatable web of pouch 610 can be inflated and sealed in a variety of different ways. For example, the web 10 can be any of the formats disclosed by US Pat. Nos. 8,357,439, 8,038,348, 7,513,090, and published application 2009/029342. Can be inflated and sealed in one.

  Referring to FIG. 11 a, in one exemplary embodiment, the skin 612 is longer on one side of the pouch and forms a sealing flap 614. The inflated pouch 50 may be loaded with product by either the packer or the consumer, the sealing flap 614 is moved to a closed position opposite the pouch, and the sealing flap 614 overlaps the container. Positioned to seal at location 616. Other sealing structures for exterior skins, such as, for example, two flaps on both sides of an equal length pouch are also joined together by at least one flap inside, such as by a strip of adhesive, etc. It may be used in practice.

  A front view of one container of the web of FIG. 11a is shown in FIG. 11b. The container 650 includes an outer skin 612 and a sealing flap 614 that is positioned to seal the container at the overlap location 616. Bar code data 654 and a product mark 652 are attached on the exterior skin 612. The marking operation may occur before and after the web is expanded and before and after the product is packed by the packer.

  Another exemplary embodiment of a wrapping web is illustrated in FIGS. 12-20. The exemplary wrapping web is similar to the embodiment illustrated by FIGS. 6-8, but the outer skin is sealed to close the pouch prior to final expansion of the web. The web may be expanded at least partially before the outer skin is sealed. In that case, the web may be partially flattened prior to sealing the outer skin.

  In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 12-14, the upper edges of the skin 610 are connected to form a closed channel 1212, as shown in FIGS. In FIG. 13, an inflatable packaging material web 1210 is shown along the center of the pouch. In FIG. 14, an inflatable wrapping web 1210 is shown along the pouch edge 14. In a non-expanded and stored configuration, the entire web may be at least partially flattened.

  Here, the packing of the product into the preformed pouch of the web is discussed. In practice of the invention, the product may be packed into the pouch by several different methods. For example, the product may be inserted into the open end of the pouch manually or by automated techniques. The product can be inserted into the open end before the pouch is inflated and sealed. Alternatively, the product can be inserted into the pouch through the open end, and the pouch is inflated and sealed. The packer may select one of these options in light of product size, weight, or other characteristics.

  The exemplary skin configuration of FIGS. 12-14 allows the packaging web 1210 to be opened, loaded, closed, and sealed by a packaging machine, such as the packaging machine 1210 illustrated in FIGS. 21a and 21b. Examples of packaging machines that may be modified or combined to open, load, close, and seal the outer skin are described in US Pat. Nos. 7,552,571, 6,170,238, and 6, , 055,796, 5,996,319, 5,987,856, and 5,944,424, and US Publication No. 2012/0214658, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Incorporated in the specification). Other skin configurations may also be used in the practice of the present invention and the padded container may be loaded, closed, and sealed by the packaging machine.

  In one exemplary embodiment, a bagging machine is used to load, close, and seal the padded container with the packaging machine. In this embodiment, the pouch is loaded with the product and the outer skin is sealed. For example, a pouch loaded with a product may be placed in an envelope bag. In one exemplary embodiment, the pouch loaded with product is placed in a bag and the bag is sealed using a bagging machine. For example, pouches loaded with products are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,3076,617, 7,7552,257, 6,948,296, 6,742,317, 6,543,201. No. 6,055,796, No. 5996,319, No. 5,987,856, No. 5,944,424, and No. 6,170,238, respectively, by reference in their entirety May be packaged using any one of the machines disclosed by (incorporated herein).

  Here, another exemplary method of packaging a product using an expanded packaging web is discussed. FIGS. 15-20 illustrate a method of forming an inflated / padded container 1500 from a web 1210 using a packaging machine. Referring to FIG. 15, the top of the skin 610 is cut, slit, or otherwise separated. The machine is described in U.S. Patent Nos. 7,552,571, 6,170,238, 6,055,796, 5,996,319, 5,987,856, or 5,944. , 424, create slits, cuts, or other separations in the same manner. Referring to FIG. 16, an upper edge 1610 is formed and gripped by the belt 1612. The belt travels in the same direction as the web and acts to pull the web forward through the machinery. Belt 1612 can be formed from U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,552,571, 6,170,238, 6,055,796, 5,996,319, 5,987,856, or You may have the same form disclosed by 944,424. Referring to FIG. 17, the belt 1612 pulls the edges apart so as to open the pouch. Product 1710 is packed into a pouch. Product stuffing may be performed by automated machinery or manually.

  18-20 illustrate an exemplary process for completing product packaging. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view showing the web 610 expanded around the product 1710. The web may be expanded by an expansion nozzle 1810 into the expansion channel 30. After expansion, the web may be sealed by sealing the web with a seal 40 and maintaining expansion. FIG. 20 illustrates the outer skin flap 1610 in a sealed position. Once the web 610 has reached this state, the individual containment containers may be separated from the web, such as by separating edge perforations.

  Referring to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 21a and 21b, the packaging machine 2110 includes several stations. Each station serves one or more specific purposes as the web travels through each station. For example, the packaging machine 2110 includes a loading station 2112, an expansion and sealing station 2114, and a skin sealing station 2116. A packaging machine 2110 is provided for exemplary purposes only, and the present invention may be practiced with other packaging machines or with a combination of packaging machines and in one or more manual assembly steps. The good will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

  Referring to FIG. 21 a, the packaging material web 1210 is moved along the travel path toward the loading station 2112. The loading station is automatically used to pack one or more products into each pouch of the web 1210. At the beginning of the loading station or upstream therefrom, the containment channel 1212 (see FIGS. 13-15) is cut open. At the separation point 2220, the flaps 1610 are engaged and pulled apart by the belt, which also pulls the web through the machinery. The outside of the web travels outward along an angled path 2202 prior to the loading point. The loading station 2112 is described in U.S. Patent Nos. 7,552,571, 6,170,238, 6,055,796, 5,996,319, 5,987,856, or 5th. , 944, 424 may correspond to the loading station.

The loading station 2112 includes a travel length in which the two panels are held apart. In the progression length, a loading cavity 2204 is created between the panels of each pouch. As shown in FIGS. 21a and 21b, the product 1710, the loading station 2112, it is packed in the direction _{D 1} in the loading cavity. As discussed herein, loading may be by automated machinery or manual steps. At the end of the loading station 2012, the sides of the panel are merged again at the pre-close point 2206 to be continuous or relatively continuous.

  The web proceeds to the next station and is inflated and sealed. In exemplary embodiments, the inflating and sealing component 2114 is disclosed in US Pat. Nos. 8,357,439, 8,038,348, 7,513,090, or published application 2009/029342. Corresponding to the inflation and sealing components to be provided and provided after loading station 2112. The web includes a channel for the pouch to be inflated. With specific reference to FIGS. 18 and 21, the channel 30 is routed over a pin that includes an expansion nozzle 1810. The pin and expansion nozzle 1810 slide into the channel as the web travels through the machinery and causes the blower 2208 to expand the pouch around the product. As shown in FIG. 19, the pouch is then sealed along the seal 40 to maintain the expansion of the pouch. This seal is disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 7,552,571, 6,170,238, 6,055,796, 5,996,319, 5,987,856, or 5, It may be preformed with a sealing belt having the sealing belt configuration disclosed by 944,424. In one exemplary embodiment, the web pouch is vacuum formed, such as by using the material disclosed by US Pat. No. 6,423,166.

  In the illustrated embodiment, the skin sealing station 2116 is positioned after the inflation and sealing component 2114. Still referring to FIGS. 21a and 21b, the outer skin is sealed by a sealing belt. Sealing is controlled by heater temperature control 2210 and heater position control 2212. Sealing belts are described in US Pat. Nos. 7,552,571, 6,170,238, 6,055,796, 5,996,319, 5,987,856, or You may have the structure of the sealing belt of 944,424.

  In another exemplary embodiment, sealing of the pouch and sealing of the skin is accomplished using a single seal. For example, after expansion of the pouch, a single sealer will seal across all four layers, ie, two layers at the end of the pouch and two layers of the skin 1610 simultaneously. In one exemplary embodiment, the skin sealing station 2116 is a U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,552,571, 6,170,238, 6,055,796, 5,996,319, 5, Corresponds to the closure and sealing station disclosed by 987,856 or 5,944,424.

  A machine and method for producing an inflatable material is illustrated in FIG. The method can be used to form a re-expandable material that can be used to produce a cushioning material in any of the embodiments disclosed by the present application. As discussed, the preformed pouch web may take a variety of forms in the practice of the present invention. The web may be an inflatable cushion that is designed to be later inflated by the end user. Exemplary materials are described in US Pat. No. 6,423,166. The end user expands the material on demand and expands only the amount of wrapping material required at that time.

Still referring to FIG. 22, the machine 800 is arranged to produce an inflatable cushioning material. Machine includes two adjacent wheels, i.e., a base wheel 712 rotates in the direction _{T 1,} and a forming wheel 710 rotates in the opposite direction _{T 2.} Two individual layers of plastic film 700 and 702, between the two wheels 710, 712 are pulled in the direction _{A 2.} Forming wheel 710 has a patterned surface 714 to produce an inflatable pattern on web 704. Base wheel 712 may have a smooth surface 716. Inflatable cushioning material may be stored in bulk in container 720 in an unexpanded form until the end user is ready to use the material. Another machine or series of machines can attach the outer skin and expand the cushioning material in the desired amount.

  A top view of the inflatable cushion web 704 is shown in FIG. The web includes an expanded pattern 750 that includes each of the individual cells 752 arranged in an alternating pattern. After the expansion process, such as by vacuum, the cell may have a distinguishable shape, such as a hexagon. The patterned web may shrink in both the machine direction and the lateral direction to form an expanded pattern. Any separate armor skin may be attached to the inflatable cushion at the edges only to minimize shrinkage or distortion.

  Although various inventive aspects, concepts, and features of the general inventive concept are described and illustrated herein in light of various exemplary embodiments, these various aspects, concepts, and features. May be used in many alternative embodiments either individually or in any of various combinations and subcombinations thereof. Unless explicitly excluded from the specification, all such combinations and subcombinations are intended to be within the scope of the general invention concept. In addition, various alternative embodiments regarding various aspects, concepts and features of the present invention (such as alternative materials, structures, configurations, methods, circuits, devices and components, forms, adaptations and functional alternatives, etc.) Although described herein, such descriptions are not intended to be a complete or comprehensive list of alternative embodiments available, whether currently known or later developed. Those skilled in the art will readily employ one or more of the aspects, concepts, or features of the present invention in additional embodiments, even if such embodiments are not explicitly disclosed herein, It can be used within the general inventive concept. In addition, even though some features, concepts, or aspects of the invention may be described herein as being a preferred arrangement or method, such a description clearly indicates that such features Unless stated to the contrary, it is not intended to imply what is required or required. Furthermore, exemplary or representative values and ranges may be included to aid in understanding the present disclosure. However, such values and ranges are not to be construed in a limiting sense and are intended to be critical values or ranges only when explicitly stated as such. Moreover, although various aspects, features, and concepts may be explicitly identified herein as being the present invention or forming part of the invention, such identification is exclusive Rather than as such or expressly identified as part of a specific invention, the aspects, concepts, and features of the present invention are fully described herein. Can exist. The description of the exemplary method or process is not limited to the inclusion of all steps, as required in all examples, and the order in which the steps are presented is also required or required unless stated otherwise Is not interpreted.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which refers to the accompanying drawings.
This specification provides the following items, for example.
(Item 1)
A method for converting a preformed pouch web into an inflatable packaging material on demand, said pouch comprising a side edge, two panels, and at least one panel having an expansion pattern. Defined, the method comprising:
Moving the web along a path of travel;
Attaching an outer skin to the outside of the web;
Wrapping the web in a non-inflated and stored configuration;
Including a method.
(Item 2)
Moving the web along a path of travel;
Inflating each of the preformed pouches;
Sealing each of the preformed pouches to form a cushioning material;
The method according to Item 1, further comprising:
(Item 3)
Closing each of the preformed pouches;
Sealing the outer skin in a closed position around each of the preformed pouches;
Separating the web into a plurality of padded inclusions;
The method according to item 2, further comprising:
(Item 4)
4. The method of item 3, wherein the preformed pouch and the outer skin are each closed simultaneously.
(Item 5)
Moving the web along a path of travel;
Packing at least one product into each of a plurality of preformed pouches;
Inflating each of the preformed pouches;
Sealing each of the preformed pouches to form a cushioning material;
Closing each of the preformed pouches;
Sealing the outer skin in a closed position around each of the plurality of preformed pouches;
Separating the web into a plurality of padded inclusions, each of the plurality of padded inclusions containing at least one product;
The method according to Item 1, further comprising:
(Item 6)
6. The method of item 5, wherein the preformed pouch and the outer skin are each closed simultaneously.
(Item 7)
The method of claim 1, wherein the outer skin is attached to the web at an edge line of the preformed pouch and removed in an area between the edge lines of the preformed pouch.
(Item 8)
The method of item 1, wherein the two panels of each pouch are positioned to define an open end and a closed end.
(Item 9)
Inflating each of the preformed pouches, at least in part;
Flattening each of the preformed pouches at least partially prior to packaging the web into a non-inflated and stored configuration;
The method according to Item 1, further comprising:
(Item 10)
A method for converting a preformed pouch web into an assembly for an inflatable packaging material on demand, said pouch having side edges, two panels, and at least one having an expansion pattern Defined by two panels, the method comprising:
Moving the web along a path of travel;
Attaching an outer skin to the outside of the web;
Sealing the outer skin in a closed position outside the web;
Wrapping the web in a non-inflated and stored configuration;
Including a method.
(Item 11)
Moving the web along a path of travel;
Separating the outer skin and opening each of the preformed pouches;
Inflating the preformed pouch;
Sealing the preformed pouch to form a cushioning material;
The method according to item 10, further comprising:
(Item 12)
Sealing the outer skin in a closed position outside the web;
Separating the web into a plurality of padded inclusions;
The method according to item 11, further comprising:
(Item 13)
Packing at least one product into each of a plurality of preformed pouches;
Sealing the outer skin in a closed position outside the web;
Separating the web into a plurality of padded inclusions;
The method according to item 11, further comprising:
(Item 14)
11. The method of item 10, wherein the outer skin is attached to the web at each edge line of the preformed pouch and removed in an area between each edge line of the preformed pouch.
(Item 15)
Inflating each of the preformed pouches, at least in part;
Flattening each of the preformed pouches at least partially prior to packaging the web into a non-inflated and stored configuration;
The method according to item 10, further comprising:
(Item 16)
Further comprising forming a sealable flap on both sides of the preformed pouch after the exterior skin is cut open, thereby opening the preformed pouch for an expanded configuration. Item 12. The method according to Item11.
(Item 17)
Pulling the sealable flap open in the opposite direction;
Packing at least one product into each of a plurality of preformed pouches;
The method of item 16, further comprising:
(Item 18)
Closing each of the preformed pouches;
Sealing the outer skin in a closed position around each of the preformed pouches;
Separating the web into a plurality of padded inclusions;
The method according to item 17, further comprising:
(Item 19)
19. A method according to item 18, wherein the preformed pouch and the outer skin are each closed simultaneously.
(Item 20)
A method for converting a preformed pouch web into an inflatable packaging material on demand, the pouch being defined by side edges and two panels, the method comprising:
Moving the web along a path of travel;
At least partially inflating each of the preformed pouches to form a cushioning material;
Flattening each of the preformed pouches at least partially prior to packaging the web in a non-expanded and stored configuration;
Wrapping the web in a non-inflated and stored configuration;
Including a method.
(Item 21)
Packing at least one product into each of a plurality of preformed pouches;
Marking at least one outer surface of each of the plurality of preformed pouches;
Separating the web into a plurality of padded inclusions;
The method of item 20, further comprising:
(Item 22)
A preformed and inflatable pouch for manufacturing into a plurality of padded inclusions, the pouch comprising:
A web of pouches defined by side edges, two panels, and at least one panel having an expanded pattern;
An outer skin attached to the outside of the web;
With
The pouch, wherein the web is packaged in a non-inflated and stored configuration.
(Item 23)
Item 23. The pouch of item 22, wherein the outer skin is attached to the web at an edge line of each pouch and is removed in an area between the edge lines of the pouch.
(Item 24)
Item 23. The pouch of item 22, wherein the outer skin is attached to the web in an area between edge lines of the pouch.
(Item 25)
Item 23. The pouch of item 22, wherein the outer skin is sealed in a closed position outside the web.
(Item 26)
24. The pouch of item 22, wherein the two panels of each pouch define an open end of the pouch and a closed end of the pouch.
(Item 27)
Item 23. The pouch according to Item 22, wherein the exterior skin is made of a plastic film.
(Item 28)
Item 23. The pouch of item 22, wherein the outer skin is marked.
(Item 29)
A preformed and inflatable pouch for manufacturing into a plurality of padded inclusions,
The pouch comprises a web of pouches defined by side edges and two panels;
Each panel has an inner layer that defines an expansion pattern and an outer layer that is smooth,
Further, the pouch is packaged in a non-inflated and stored configuration.
(Item 30)
30. A pouch according to item 29, wherein the outer skin is marked.

Claims (30)

A method for converting a preformed pouch web into an inflatable packaging material on demand, said pouch comprising a side edge, two panels, and at least one panel having an expansion pattern. Defined, the method comprising:
Moving the web along a path of travel;
Attaching an outer skin to the outside of the web;
Wrapping the web in a non-expanded and stored configuration. Moving the web along a path of travel;
Inflating each of the preformed pouches;
The method of claim 1, further comprising: sealing each of the preformed pouches to form a cushioning material. Closing each of the preformed pouches;
Sealing the outer skin in a closed position around each of the preformed pouches;
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: separating the web into a plurality of padded inclusions.   The method of claim 3, wherein the preformed pouch and the outer skin are each closed simultaneously. Moving the web along a path of travel;
Packing at least one product into each of a plurality of preformed pouches;
Inflating each of the preformed pouches;
Sealing each of the preformed pouches to form a cushioning material;
Closing each of the preformed pouches;
Sealing the outer skin in a closed position around each of the plurality of preformed pouches;
The method of claim 1, further comprising separating the web into a plurality of padded inclusions, each of the plurality of padded inclusions containing at least one product.   The method of claim 5, wherein the preformed pouch and the outer skin are each closed simultaneously.   The method of claim 1, wherein the outer skin is attached to the web at an edge line of the preformed pouch and removed in an area between the edge lines of the preformed pouch.   The method of claim 1, wherein the two panels of each pouch are positioned to define an open end and a closed end. Inflating each of the preformed pouches, at least in part;
The method of claim 1, further comprising: at least partially planarizing each of the preformed pouches prior to packaging the web in a non-expanded and stored configuration. A method for converting a preformed pouch web into an assembly for an inflatable packaging material on demand, said pouch having side edges, two panels, and at least one having an expansion pattern Defined by two panels, the method comprising:
Moving the web along a path of travel;
Attaching an outer skin to the outside of the web;
Sealing the outer skin in a closed position outside the web;
Wrapping the web in a non-expanded and stored configuration. Moving the web along a path of travel;
Separating the outer skin and opening each of the preformed pouches;
Inflating the preformed pouch;
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising sealing the preformed pouch and forming a cushioning material. Sealing the outer skin in a closed position outside the web;
The method of claim 11, further comprising separating the web into a plurality of padded inclusions. Packing at least one product into each of a plurality of preformed pouches;
Sealing the outer skin in a closed position outside the web;
The method of claim 11, further comprising separating the web into a plurality of padded inclusions.   The method of claim 10, wherein the outer skin is attached to the web at each edge line of the preformed pouch and removed in an area between each edge line of the preformed pouch. Inflating each of the preformed pouches, at least in part;
The method of claim 10, further comprising: at least partially planarizing each of the preformed pouches prior to packaging the web in a non-expanded and stored configuration.   Further comprising forming a sealable flap on both sides of the preformed pouch after the exterior skin is cut open, thereby opening the preformed pouch for an expanded configuration. The method of claim 11. Pulling the sealable flap open in the opposite direction;
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: packing at least one product into each of a plurality of preformed pouches. Closing each of the preformed pouches;
Sealing the outer skin in a closed position around each of the preformed pouches;
The method of claim 17, further comprising: separating the web into a plurality of padded inclusions.   The method of claim 18, wherein the preformed pouch and the outer skin are each closed simultaneously. A method for converting a preformed pouch web into an inflatable packaging material on demand, the pouch being defined by side edges and two panels, the method comprising:
Moving the web along a path of travel;
At least partially inflating each of the preformed pouches to form a cushioning material;
Flattening each of the preformed pouches at least partially prior to packaging the web in a non-expanded and stored configuration;
Wrapping the web in a non-expanded and stored configuration. Packing at least one product into each of a plurality of preformed pouches;
Marking at least one outer surface of each of the plurality of preformed pouches;
21. The method of claim 20, further comprising: separating the web into a plurality of padded inclusions. A preformed and inflatable pouch for manufacturing into a plurality of padded inclusions, the pouch comprising:
A web of pouches defined by side edges, two panels, and at least one panel having an expanded pattern;
An exterior skin attached to the outside of the web,
The pouch, wherein the web is packaged in a non-inflated and stored configuration.   23. The pouch of claim 22, wherein the outer skin is attached to the web at an edge line of each pouch and is removed at an area between the edge lines of the pouch.   23. A pouch according to claim 22, wherein the outer skin is attached to the web in an area between edge lines of the pouch.   23. A pouch according to claim 22, wherein the outer skin is sealed in a closed position outside the web.   23. The pouch of claim 22, wherein the two panels of each pouch define an open end of the pouch and a closed end of the pouch.   The pouch according to claim 22, wherein the outer skin is made of a plastic film.   23. A pouch according to claim 22, wherein the outer skin is marked. A preformed and inflatable pouch for manufacturing into a plurality of padded inclusions,
The pouch comprises a web of pouches defined by side edges and two panels;
Each panel has an inner layer that defines an expansion pattern and an outer layer that is smooth,
Further, the pouch is packaged in a non-inflated and stored configuration.   30. The pouch of claim 29, wherein the outer skin is marked.